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Bubblegun reviews

ASSORTED REVIEWS ON BUBBLEGUN BY THE MERRYMAKERS

BAM California's Music Magazine

ESSENTIALLY A TWO-MAN CORE OF Swedes - Anders Hellgren and David Myhr - aided and abetted by various pals, the Merrymakers specialize in making pop of the purest form: Guitars , vocal harmonies soar, conquers all and the melodies stick in your head for days. Traces of , ELO and (of course) abound, but the Merrymakers' sound is a remarkably consistent one; Hellgren and Myhr are less interested in aping their idols than in building something new with the tools they've left behind.

Though the songs are occasionally sweet to the point of becoming cloying, Bubblegun succeeds on the strength of cuts like "Superstar", "Ms Demeanor" and "April's Fool" (the latter co-written with former Jellyfish dude , who also produced four of the 's tracks), all of which make writing witty lyrics and twist-and-turn hooks sound like the easiest thing in the world. As an added enticement, the packgage also includes a bonus disc, which features five fine songs from the 's 1995 debut.

- DAN EPSTEIN

The onion

The next great torchbearers of American power-pop may well be from . On The Merrymakers’ sophomore album (released elsewhere in 1997 and already a big hit in ), the group captures the style nearly perfectly, from swelling choruses to sentiments perfectly suited for sing-along pop songs and nowhere else. Best example of both: the chorus to ”Superstar,” which repeats, ”Don’t let go superstar / Let it show who you are / Don’t let go superstar / That’s what you are.” It’s pop at its (superficially) simplest and catchiest, but there’s a smartness and sophistication beneath the surface that never lets the music seem dispensable. The duo has also chosen its influences wisely, from the Michael Penn-like ”Under The Light Of The Moon” to the crisp production by Jellyfish frontman Andy Sturmer. Bubblegun peters out toward the end, but for at least its first two-thirds, it’s near brilliant. Also included is a second disc of selections from the group’s 1995 debut, and while that material isn’t quite as strong, it certainly suggests that The Merrymakers’ second album could be pretty great. It is. -Keith Phipps

Amplifier On-Line

Sweden’s premier pop guys, the Merrymakers, are poised to have their masterpiece Bubblegun released on these shores (it came out in Japan in 1997 and in Sweden last year). For those of you who haven’t yet heard this one (shame on you!), now’s your chance. Featuring 13 of the 14 tunes from the Japanese release-inexplicably ditching “What About?”-as well as five songs from their debut long-player, it’s nothing short of one of the best pure pop records of the decade. Heart, harmonies, melody, guts and song after song of pop perfection, all tied up in an Andy Sturmer-produced ribbon.

John M. Borack

Alan Haber’s Pure Pop

First appearing in Japan at the tail end of 1997, Bubblegun was released in Sweden in early 1998. This terrific album will be released here in the United States on February 9, 1999 by Big Deal, likely giving it the distinction (as pointed out to me by David Bash) of being released in three different configurations in three consecutive years.

In some ways, Bubblegun seems to be by another band; there is an emphasis on the slightly harder edge here, with louder guitars and heavier drums present throughout. The Merrymakers of No Sleep ‘til Famous, and certainly of Andrew’s Store, seem on the surface to be long gone.

A closer look at the songs on Bubblegun, however, reveal a band dipping into a new bag of tricks as they get some distance from the ear candy of Famous and gain some valuable perspective. The slightly harder edge present on Bubblegun seems right in the context of progression, of time passing.

The songwriting on Bubblegun is more complex than we’ve previously seen from the Merrymakers, and perhaps that’s what is most evident after listening to this album a few times. Certainly the arrangement on “Saltwater Drinks” confirms this; the take- no-prisoners attitude of “Superstar,” too—it rocks a bit harder than the boys have in the past.

Bubblegun was produced by Ronald Bood and the band, save for four songs that were co-produced by the band and Jellyfish’s Andy Sturmer, who played drums and co- wrote “April’s Fool” and a song that appeared as a bonus track on the Japanese release, “Sad.” It will come as no surprise to listeners of the Pure Pop radio show that “April’s Fool” is my favorite song here: it’s another one of those great songs that Paul McCartney never wrote. And it’s catchy and really rather clever.

Although Peter Karlsson has left the band, leaving David Myhr and Anders Hellgren to carry on as a duo, the U.S. future of the Merrymakers is (hopefully) assured with the release of Bubblegun by Big Deal. Something listeners will undoubtedly agree with. Alan Haber December 1998

Weekly Wire

Power pop seems like it should be so simple. Two guitars, bass, drums, keyboard accents, lotsa harmonies, songs about girls ... nothing to it. This must be why there's so many incredibly boring power-pop . The parameters are set in stone, and far too many bands are content to only work within them. Then, luckily, there are bands like the Merrymakers. The Merrymakers, a drummerless Swedish trio, know that in , it's the little things that matter. Bubblegun, their second album (after 1995's No Sleep Till Famous), is chockablock full of insistent hooks, neat little production tricks and two crucial elements for the success of any power-pop album: a sense of humor and a sense of dynamics. Too many power-pop albums feature one characterless mid-tempo tune after another, but Bubblegun shifts gears all over the place, following the hyperspeed "Superstar" with the leisurely "Monkey in the Middle," itself followed by the early-'70s AM bubblegum "Under the Light of the Moon." Bubblegun's drummer is Andy Sturmer, formerly co-leader of San Francisco's Jellyfish, and that band's big glammy hooks flavor much of the Merrymakers' album. Again, it's the little touches that make the songs, like the brief a capella intro to the album-opening "Saltwater Drinks" or the way "April's Fool" starts and ends with the piano riff from ABBA's "Money Money Money," a nice (and surprisingly rare) nod to Sweden's first pop superstars. Elsewhere, weird synth and percussion accents elevate the tough 'n' speedy "A Fine Line" above the mediocre, while the stuttering "I'm In ... Love!" (featuring Sturmer's best drumming and a neat use of the "Sweet Jane" riff) is probably the album's highlight. There's some missteps. A couple of the lyrics are clunkers, like the trite "Troubled Times:" "Only you can get you through your troubled times." Well ... thanks. But on the other hand, even that song has a chorus that turns around and bites you on the ass when you least expect it, which is pretty much all we ask of power pop. And that's what Bubblegun regularly delivers. !!!! ftmmusic.com

TIME FOR SOMETHING SWEDE!!!

Think Swedish pop and chances are your first thoughts would be of the Scandanavian nation’s most successful musical export, ABBA. Well, the 90s have seen a renaissance of sorts for the Swedish pop scene as the likes of , Ace of Base, the Cardigans et al have proven that Swedepop (its most convenient handle) has a place in the hearts and wallets of pop kids all around the globe.

Just beneath the surface, there is a ground swell of an underground movement within the Swedish pop ranks that given the right exposure and (most critically) radio airplay, may also match up to the successful paths already blazed ahead by these aforementioned bands..

These fringe outfits include the angular Pixies-like punk of bob hund, the jangly poprock of Dorian Gray and most significantly, the pristine powerpop of the Merrymakers..

Comprising essentially of Anders Hellgren and David Myhr, the Merrymakers have two excellent records under their belt - 1995’s No Sleep Till Famous ( to the tune of 70,000 units)and Bubblegun, released in Sweden last year by Virgin..

Fortunately for American pop fans, the Merrymakers have managed to secure US distribution for Bubblegun with specialist pop label Big Deal, home of Splitsville; Gladhands; Cockeyed Ghost and other pop giants. This US version does not merely reproduce its Swedish predecessor. In fact, a concerted effort has been made to ensure that Bubblegun is presented in the best light possible. To this end, the track sequence has been tweaked somewhat - two inserted, one omitted - and a bonus disc, containing five songs off No Sleep has been added...

And it appears to have paid dividends as the record seems tighter and more focused on delivering those hefty hooks and spinetingling harmonies. From the driving adrenaline-pumping Saltwater Drinks to the radio-friendly ditty April’s Fool (co- written with Andy Sturmer: ex-leader of pop-meisters Jellyfish); from the easy splendor of Under the Light of the Moon to the gorgeous shiver inducing sentiments of Monkey in the Middle; from the country-inflected Adore (with pedal steel, no less) to the heartfelt Outside Looking In, Bubblegun is a wonder and a joy - an album that will literally eat you alive, you only give it half a chance..

Please do. (8.5).

Cheers. Kevin Mathews. Touched by the Power of Pop

eview: The Merrymakers' 'Bubblegun' by Jody Beth Rosen

The Merrymakers are quite Swedish. At one point on their Big Deal/Virgin release Bubblegun, there's an almost-plagiarism of the vaudeville-piano lick in ABBA's "Money, Money, Money." Their sound is happy, high, European--the same ecstatic welterweight groove as neighbor Swedes The Cardigans, Aqua, and Whale. The lyrics share with ABBA a preciousness and language-barrier weirdness that can translate into pop genius ("Her lunar baby will hurt/For mooncake is a businessman's dessert.") Needless to write, I'm all over this shit. Here's what I'm hearing: , Pezband, Cheap Trick, The Raspberries, Wings, Jellyfish, Queen, ABBA, The Rembrandts, , The La's. Lemme back up to Jellyfish, though: their MIA-since- 1993 singer/drummer, Andy Sturmer, returned from hiding to co-produce and play drums on "Bubblegun." His influence is noticeable: a slight bent in the drumming, unhip early-nineties (pre- college radio) production values, layers upon layers of harmonies--which can either be sublime (many addicts have crack--I have harmonies) or make the band sound like Extreme. Some songs on "Bubblegun" don't just remind me of other artists--they remind me of particular songs by those groups: f'r'instance, "Sad" has an unsettling ring of Jellyfish's 1990 semi-hit "That Is Why" to it. But because of Sturmer's participation in this album, I'll chalk it up to spiritual brotherhood. "Bubblegun" comes with a second disc, an EP of 5 songs from their first album, "No Sleep 'til Famous." It may be more raw than its accompanying album; it may even be better ("Smiling In The Sky" is, actually, perfect), but Easter's coming and I'm filling the cart up with candy. I prefer "Bubblegun" for its halcyon qualities, its untroubled, seratonin-injected bliss. I haven't heard music so gleeful since Wilson Philips disbanded.

The Merrymakers possess all of the sophistication and savvy song-craft of their Swedish peers, The Cardigans and Komeda, but couple it with a propulsive, guitar-driven sound. They are already an international smash, selling over 150,000 records worldwide! Now, their brilliant Bubblegun, will be released by us here in the US on February 9th, with loads of extra bonus tracks and new versions too! Bubblegun was co-produced by Andy Sturmer of Jellyfish to boot. Mesmerizing pop songs, rare and unreleased tracks - The Merrymakers, the best Swedish import since Absolut.

"BUBBLEGUN." The Merrymakers (Big Deal). They’re Swedes who sound a lot like renowned Brits, with a slight edge. But one has to be careful in comparing the Merrymakers to the Beatles, even though the band’s two-man core of Andres Hellgren and David Myhr has a knack for catchy pop ditties that smack of "Sgt. Pepper" and ". Considering such sophisticated gems as "Superstar," "Saltwater Drinks," and "Under the Light of the Moon," whose breezy acoustic tempos are quite soothing, the band should make a big splash on radio. --TONY BASSETT.

Hate You February 1999 LMNOP Reviews

THE MERRYMAKERS - Bubblegun (Double CD, Big Deal, Pop) Whoever's doing the picking at Big Deal these days is picking 'em well. This Swedish band has already done well in their homeland and they've caused major ripples in Japan with their ultra-clean, hummable radio pop. Now they're bound to transfer some of that same success to the United States with this impressive double disc set. Disc One is contains all the songs from the band's second album (Bubblegun), while Disc Two features five tracks lifted from the band's first album. I'll admit the vocals took a little getting used to at first (reminds me of Peter Noone at times)...and the overly commercial approach made me a cautious listener. After getting warmed up to the sound, however, I found myself enjoying the music immensely. I'm usually terrible at predicting what's going to be a big seller in the U.S....but if you ask me what might make it big this month, I'd say it may very well be The Merrymakers. (Rating: 5)

CD NOW:

The Merrymakers Bubblegun (Big Deal) Jangly guitars, ultra-catchy melodies, tightly layered harmonies -- Bubblegun, the stateside debut of Sweden’s Merrymakers, unveils the band as power poppers through and through.

The Merrymakers draw from some fairly obvious influences (, Paul McCartney, , to name a few), but also add a guitar-propelled '90s edge to their proceedings.

The net result is a mixed bag ranging from brilliant power pop as good as anything heard on Yellow Pills to sensitive '90s-guy sentimentalia that's treacly -- even by power pop standards. Still, Bubblegun --recorded in 1997 with ex- Jellyfish drummer Andy Sturmer handling production duties -- has some sterling moments, particularly the first American single, "Troubled Times," and the soaring chorus of "Monkey in the Middle."

Don't be put off by a lame lead off track that smacks of bad '90s modern rock tendencies; good things definitely come later on. Big Deal's reissue of Bubblegun, already a hit in Sweden and Japan, includes a bonus disc containing songs from the band's first full-length CD.

Mike Bieber

The Merrymakers - Bubblegun

...reviewed by Amplifier On-Line.

Sweden’s premier pop guys, the Merrymakers, are poised to have their masterpiece Bubblegun released on these shores (it came out in Japan in 1997 and in Sweden last year). For those of you who haven’t yet heard this one (shame on you!), now’s your chance. Featuring 13 of the 14 tunes from the Japanese release-inexplicably ditching “What About?”-as well as five songs from their debut long-player, it’s nothing short of one of the best pure pop records of the decade. Heart, harmonies, melody, guts and song after song of pop perfection, all tied up in an Andy Sturmer-produced ribbon.??John M. Borack

INTERVIEW FOR BULLZ-EYE by Will Harris

Bullz-Eye: For those just learning about No Sleep ‘Til Famous now, can you give a nutshell summary of your career prior to its David Myhr: We were a bunch of ambitious young musicians from the north of Sweden, a little town called Pitea. We were hungry for fame and success, and we dreamt of becoming pop stars...or at least to make our living from it. We were inspired by melodic pop in general, and for me and my song writing partner, Peter, the Beatles were the main influence at the time. Our band had four (!) lead singers and songwriters, which made our music a bit too schizophrenic; you couldn’t really tell what the Merrymakers were about...and we couldn’t, either! It was mainly just the pure joy of writing and recording our own music that kept us going. We released a few singles on a Swedish label called Stockholm Records, but they dropped us in favor of the Cardigans because they were “young” and had a clear musical vision. It was true...but I must admit it was a bit depressing knowing that we were 24 years old and already too old...! It wasn’t until Anders Hellgren had joined the group, and all the other members quit for different reasons, that the band had a clear musical vision. Anders was mainly a synth guy in his teens, but through and Jellyfish he had come to love the melodic guitar pop as well. So when we got the chance to record our first full-length album it was obvious that we were striving for instantly hummable, catchy and hooky pop songs. That was our goal. And we borrowed one or two arrangement ideas from among others Jellyfish, but it wasn’t until a couple of years later that Andy Sturmer from Jellyfish discovered our existence and we started to discuss recording together. That led to his contributions as producer and drummer on our second full-length album which was to become Bubblegun...but that’s another story. BE: Do you recall any anecdotes from the recording of the album? DM: What I remember most of all is how the circumstances forced us to do everything ourselves. We had been offered to record in a really nice studio (when it wasn’t booked), but apart from that there was no budget for anything. So in addition to being artists and musicians, we also had to do the production completely without external help. Anders was the sound guy, so he was in charge of that. He was also the one programming the drums on the whole album. The thing was that we didn’t actually have a band. We were just three singers and guitar players...so the drums were programmed for the most part, and then we took turns on the other instruments. In fact, there’s not one single moment on the album where two musicians are performing at the same time. It was all built up step by step from the programming of the hi-hat to the last harmony overdubs. We even wrote on the album, “This is NOT a live recording, lots of overdubs used,” just because it’s normally nothing you brag about, rather the opposite. Another truly memorable moment was when we were in the midst of some fine adjustments of the mixing, all of us leaning over the big mixing console, when a man entered the control room in a white coat with a typical hat that chefs wear. He was selling fish! He simply entered the room with a tray of fish in his hands, politely asking if we were interested in “salmon, herring, etcetera.” It was hilarious. We never stopped laughing that day over how completely unexpected that was. BE: Did you expect the record to have a better commercial reception than it did? DM: To be honest, we had no idea whatsoever what to expect. At the time, it seemed unlikely that any single person would go to a record store and spend their money on buying our music. But, of course, we had hopes that we would get reviews and many TV appearances and so on. We got a little of that in Sweden, but it never really took off. It drowned like so many other albums in the constant stream of new music...which in those days wasn’t as enormous as it is today, when everybody with or without talent records their own album in their bedroom with a sound card and a computer...! But the great thing was that through Andy of Jellyfish, we were able to get the right contacts in Japan. And it led to something quite incredible. Suddenly, in the spring of ‘97 (one and a half years after its original release!), No Sleep ‘Til Famous became the big priority for Toshiba-EMI/Virgin. In the end, “Monument of Me,” which was the single, became a huge radio hit with heavy rotation on almost every radio station in Japan. We sold over 80,000 copies and went to Japan three times the same year for promotion, interviews etc. That amount might not be huge by Japanese standards, but for us it was enormous, and it certainly was a welcome reward after the up-hill battle we had been fighting since we first started to look for a record contract in 1990 or so! So the answer to the question in the end is yes, we expected a better commercial reception in our home country of Sweden, but we had never dreamed of the response in Japan. As for the rest of the world, we didn’t have a clue. BE: Are you pleased to find that it still maintains enough of a following to make its way into this piece? DM: It’s a very nice feeling! However, I guess we would have preferred if we had something new to present that people were raving about. No Sleep was the best we were able to achieve at the time. It was a debut album. And like many other debut albums it was filled with enthusiasm, but also to some extent it wasn’t too mature. There are a few songs, especially towards the second half of the album, that we are a bit embarrassed about now. But, of course, it’s a cool thing to know that people appreciate it to this day. Let’s hope we can get our act together and release something new before the end of the year...2012. (Heh, heh.) BE: What are you doing now? DM: We have our own studio called Monogram in Stockholm, where we produce music. For instance, we write songs 1 av 2 08-03-12 11.06The Merrymakers interview, David Myhr interview http://www.bullz-eye.com/music/features/2007/best_albums_never_... and produce for the Japanese female duo called PuffyAmiYumi, who I believe release their albums in the US as well. Also, they are cartoon characters over there, I think. Andy from Jellyfish wrote for them over the last few years, and now we’ve also got this opportunity, which is great fun. We are also writing songs that hopefully will end up on a future Merrymakers album. Apart from this, we play in an ABBA tribute band called Super Trouper...partly for the fun and to keep our live performing alive, but also to pay the rent of the studio. We thought that if we are going to end up playing in a cover band, we might as well play something with quality and that’s a bit challenging, and ABBA works really well for that. Anders plays the drums, and I’m playing the part of Benny behind the piano. We are also busy leading a normal family life and teaching music production at different schools.

Monday, January 28th, 2008 by Will Harris Even since Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus first realized that they had a knack for writing songs together, it’s been an accepted fact that there’s something in the water of Sweden which gifts the residents of this kingdom with the abilities to write inconceivably catchy pop hooks. I mean, I’m not saying anyone’s actually done any sort of chemical analysis – or, at least, I haven’t, anyway – but given the sheer hummability of the average Swedish composition, it seems like as good an explanation as any. As late as the mid- 1990s, however, my knowledge of Swedish pop was limited to two groups – ABBA and Roxette – and neither were exactly the height of cool – but, then, neither was I, which is why I had ABBA’s Gold and Roxette’s greatest hits, Don’t search... Download for free special analyst interview how to optimize real-user experience www.moniforce.com Download 80's Music Download Free Music at eMusic Over 3,000,000 Songs www.emusic.com News & Reviews Pop Music Reviews Sign Up Today - Free Music Magazine PlaybackMag.net Paul McCartney Interview Exclusive Clash Magazine interview Sir Paul McCartney - for more visit www.ClashMusic.com/PaulMcCart Big L Radio - listen now Fantastic radio - we always play the ones you want to hear www.bigl.co.uk 1 av 4 08-03-12 11.24Hooks ‘N’ You: The Merrymakers, “No Sleep ‘Til Famous” | Popdose http://popdose.com/hooks-n-you-the-merrymakers-no- sleep-til-famous/ Bore Us, Get To The Chorus! (Even if you don’t like Roxette, I think you have to admit that that’s a really awesome title.) It was right around this time that a man named Bruce Brodeen entered my life. As the founder of Not Lame Records, Bruce did considerable damage to my bank account, but the musical education he provided me was invaluable. When I received my first catalog from Not Lame, it made my head spin; it contained details about releases from a veritable plethora of artists, most of whom I’d neither heard nor even read about, but who were described via such different reference points like The Beatles, , The , Queen, , XTC, Crowded House, and countless other artists whose albums graced my CD collection. What surprised and thrilled me the most, however, were the repeated comparisons to Jellyfish; they’d become one of my all-time favorites with their two albums, Bellybutton and Spilt Milk, but they were such a cult band that I couldn’t believe there were so many other bands who could be readily described as sounding like them. Clearly, I was going to have to try out one of these one of these bands and see if they’d really live up to the hype...but which one? Eventually, I settled on The Merrymakers and their debut album, No Sleep ‘Til Famous, based on this description from Bruce: “This Swedish import is Jellyfish, Crowded House reunited w/ the Beatles and ELO and cool early Queen thrown into the mix. Ambitious without fault, pop fireworks explode, sharp riffs sideswipe, hooks pop you on the head and you become forceably drunk with memorable melodies. A no-brainer purchase if you even like half the above description. Grade: Solid ‘A’.“ Hyperbole, ahoy...? Perhaps. But it hardly mattered: I was sold. Given that this was back in the days before online ordering was as safe, easy, and readily available as it is now, I had to endure the torturous wait of mailing off a check, waiting for it to clear, and then waiting for the CD to make its way from Not Lame HQ in Colorado to my apartment in Virginia Beach, VA. Once it finally arrived, I couldn’t rip the envelope open quickly enough, and when I put it into the CD player for the first time and hit “play,” what I experienced was nothing short of a power pop epiphany. Accordingly, opener “She’s A Radio” begins with a few seconds of the sound of someone working their way down the FM dial, then bursts into a shiny happy verse that knowingly nicks a bit of the riff from “Day Tripper.” It’s far from the last nod to the Merrymakers’ influences; the very next track, the handclap- laden “ Spinning My Mind Away,” features the line, “I don’t know why you deny good vibrations / God only knows.” In fact, it’s a viable complaint that, at times, it feels like the boys in the band don’t really have a sound to call their own, instead preferring to write unabashed love letters to their favorite artists via tributes like “ Don’t Tell Me” (Paul McCartney) or “Smiling in the Sky” (ELO). When you get right down to it, though, the choruses are so ridiculously catchy that you find yourself forgiving even the most slavish imitations. “ Monument of Me” is a real foot-stomper, with an a capella moment at the end of the first chorus that will turn 96% of all frowns upside down; “Jetlag” might not have such a high success rate, but the happy-go-lucky new-wave keyboards that power the song are undeniably fun. Only one song tops out at over the four-minute mark, and that lone exception, “ Dreamgirl #9,” crosses the line by precisely one second; in other words, no song ever sticks around long enough to outstay its welcome. Indeed, the proceedings fly by so quickly that, after the album closes with the string-laden and spiritual “Shine Your Light on Me,” you’ll probably want to listen to it all over again, anyway. Oh, and if you’re a musician, you’ll probably be aware of how much overdubbing went into this record long before you read the caveat in the liner notes which announces that fact. Last year, I traded E-mail with David Myhr, who’s credited as contributing lead and backing vocals, most guitars and basses, grand piano, keyboards, and electric to the disc, and he admitted, “There’s not one single moment on the album where two musicians are performing at the same time. It was all built up step by step, from the programming of the hi-hat to the last harmony overdubs. We even wrote on the album, ‘This is NOT a live recording, lots of overdubs used,’ just because it’s normally nothing you brag about.” (You can read the rest of the interview here.) 10.jpgNo Sleep ‘Til Famous never saw a formal release in the States, but it became a substantial hit in Japan, courtesy of the aforementioned “Monument of Me,” and resulted in the issuing of Andrew’s Store, a collection of the band’s early pre-Famous singles. (It’s hard to find these days, but it’s still worth seeking out.) Perhaps the greatest achievement of Famous, however, was that it caught the ear of no less a pop authority than Jellyfish’s Andy Sturmer, who joined forces with the band to co-write and produce a few songs which turned up on the next Merrymakers album, 1997’s Bubblegun. That album did make it onto US shores, courtesy of the briefly-influential power pop label, Big Deal Records, with early pressings including a bonus second disc which offered 5 tracks from No Sleep ‘til Famous as a bit of sonic background to new fans. Unfortunately, Stateside success never materialized, and the band went into a state of hibernation from which they’ve only recently begun to rouse themselves. Myhr and his bandmate / collaborator, Anders Hellgren, have spent most of their time writing and producing for artists other than themselves, most notably Puffy AmiYumi. Oh, and just to bring this piece full circle, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that Myhr and Hellgren also keep themselves entertained by playing in Super Trouper, an ABBA tribute band. So will 2008 finally bring us a new Merrymakers album? Well, the optimist in me wants to believe that, yes, this will be the year that the guys start making merry again...but after over a decade of waiting for a follow-up to Bubblegun, the realist in me is shouting at the top of his lungs, “Don’t hold your breath,” so I won’t. But I’ll still keep my fingers crossed, just in case.

__-

Say the word "bubblegum" and a specific idea probably comes to mind. For most people, it's probably that chewy, sticky, pink stuff that unscrupulous high school students stick under the desk. For music lovers, though, the word "bubblegum" probably conjures up reminders of , innocent music that dominated the AM airwaves in the late sixties and early seventies. This music was pretty lightweight when compared to its older sibling, rock 'n roll, but the songs were undeniably full of infectious hooks. Bands like , the Archies, Edison Lighthouse, and even the Partridge Family took their influences from music like the early albums of the Beatles and found their fame before the craze died out in the mid-seventies. More than twenty years later, the Swedish pop group The Merrymakers released an album entitled Bubblegum, an album that doesn't attempt to copy the music that shares its name, but rather blends that music with the guitar pop of the late nineties to create a sound both retro and modern. The Merrymakers were formed in the early nineties by Swedish musicians Anders Hellgren and David Myhr. Their guitar fueled power pop won them a fair amount of attention over in Europe, but they never garnered much attention here in the States. A few prominent figures in the music business heard the music, though, and realized the potential that the Merrymakers had. One of these individuals was Andy Sturmer, front man of the power popsters Jellyfish. Sturmer liked the early work of the Merrymakers so much that he arranged to collaborate on songwriting duties and production with Hellgren and Myhr. Months later in 1997, the Merrymaker's finished their first U.S. release, Bubblegum. The album's fist track, Saltwater Drinks, opens with an unaccompanied tenor voice intoning: I would like to go away See the world in just one day How I wish that we could be Sailing in a boat for two Cross the seven seas with you Saltwater drinks are all on me The lyrics are pretty saccharine and sweet like most bubblegum pop music, but in the middle of this a capella intro the guitars and drums come barging in, making this one so much more than just a sappy piece of bubblegum. The resulting mix is something akin to a fast song from tinged with a slight foreign accent for flavor. The album continues with Troubled Times, another song with sugary lyrics about being falling in love and being there to support one another. The song opens with a simple acoustic guitar riff under the lyrics, sound an awful lot like REM from the late eighties. By the time the chorus rolls around, the electric guitars and drums join the mix, leading the song back to the power pop energy set forth by the first song. On Under the Light of the Moon, the album's tempo drops a little, but the energy and craftsmanship remains top-notch. Here, the electric guitars take a backseat to the acoustic, giving this song a much more organic feel. Lyrically, this is one of those songs that celebrates the lazy, relaxed joys of life. The next two songs, Monkey in the Middle and Superstar, work together in a curious contrast. Both songs explore themes of fleeting fame and being forgotten and rejected by the world, but the two songs could not sound more dissimilar. Monkey in the Middle is a slow, relaxed song, almost to the point of sounding like lounge music (but in a good way). Included in the song are a few moments that sound like they could have been lifted directly from the best moments of Paul McCartney's music in the seventies.Superstar, on the other hand, borders on the "loud, fast, and out of control" style of music. Musically it sounds similar to the theme from Friends except that it has much more clever lyrics and doesn't have the silly hand clapping. Which brings us next to April's Fool, clearly the stand-out track on the album and the one that first got me interested in The Merrymakers. In many ways, this song feels like a lost Beatles song from '67 or '68. The song opens with a laid-back honky tonk piano riff like something Billy Preston might have played. By the time the guitars join in, we get some rhythm and solo work that sound exactly as if they were played by . The lyrics have that same cheeky sense of humor that Paul McCartney managed to perfect in the years before the Beatles broke up. Have a look at the chorus: She packed in January She left in February It took 'til March to realize That I'd been April's fool Today's pop music writers would do well to take note here and try to figure out just what makes lyrical construction like this work so well. In a perfect world,April's Fool would have been one of the biggest songs of the late nineties. Hellgren and Myhr continue to wear their influences on their sleeves with A Fine Line. This song is driven by a strong, steady bass line reminiscent of early eighties new wave bands like Squeeze. The only complain with this one is that at just over two minutes, it's over just when you're really starting to get into it, As the album progressed, we move through I'm in... Love, Sad, and Ms. Demeanour. This trio of songs continues to show the group's mastery over the conventions of power pop. Strong rhythms and thick power chords abound throughout these songs. Try as you may, it's impossible not to catch the infectious energy put forth in these songs. Bubblegum closes with a final trio of songs, Adore, Coming Home, and Outside Looking In. People who have listened to way too much music, like myself, eventually start to Vi out the Author nions.com ID: austus sic cation: higan shoreline views written: sted by: n't help being a bi he esoteric and th cure ew all reviews by rFaustus ew DrFaustus's pr 1 av 2 08-05-06 23.27 g e oChew on This... - Bubblegun - The Merrymakers - Epinions.com http://www.epinions.com/content_80443772548 Subscribe to More Reviews on Bubblegun - The Merrymakers Get the RSS Feed: - Add to My Yahoo!: - Add to Google Homepage: Subscribe to DrFaustus's Reviews: Get the RSS Feed: - Add to My Yahoo!: - Add to Google Homepage: Help | Member Center | Message Boards | Site Rules | User Agreement | Privacy Policy | Site Index About Epinions | Careers | Contact Epinions | Advertising Epinions | DealTime USA | DealTime UK | PriceTool | Shopping.com | Rent.com © 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc. Trademark Notice Muze: Copyright 1995 - 2008 Muze Inc. For personal non-commercial use only. All rights reserved. Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third- party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it. recognize the typical structure of a well-planned album. At the end, tradition dictates that we need some strong closer to bring the album to a sense of finality. Each of these three songs serves this purpose well. The tempo is a little slower. There is a feel of seriousness in the singing. The lyrics focus on remembrance of the past and looking forward to the future. In short, any of these three songs would make a good closer for a standard pop album or concert. The only thing that feels a bit awkward is that we have three such songs at the end of Bubblegum, and as a result, we keep expecting the album to end after each one. It feels a bit odd, but not so much so that it detracts from the album. The Merrymakers are certainly not trying to redefine pop music here. In fact, they do nothing at all to their influences. Throughout the album you can hear the touch of previous pop acts such as The Hollies, Queen, Abba, The Zombies The Beatles, Paul McCartney, Squeeze, XTC, , and dozens of others. They're not trying to be original and groundbreaking in any way. What they are doing, though, (and doing quite well), is picking out the best moments of pop music from the sixties, seventies, and eighties, and combining them into strong, cohesive whole. We get the best of , the best of new wave, the best of power pop, and yes, even the best of bubblegum music all rolled into one. If you're looking for something truly new and groundbreaking, you won't find it on Bubblegum. But if you're a big fan of pop music, and want to hear some of it's best moments rolled into one album, rush out and get this disk. Maybe if enough of us start to buy Bubblegum, we'll soon get another album from this vastly underappreciated group. I'll keep my fingers crossed. (Oh, and as a last note, the U.S. release of Bubblegum comes bundled with a five song bonus disk of tunes from the group's first album, No Sleep 'til Famous, an album that has still never been released here in the U.S. I won’t go into much detail on these songs, as I hope to get my hands on a copy of No Sleep 'til Famous so that I can write a full review. I'll simply say that these five songs, particularly Monument of Me, are amongst the best pop/rock songs I've heard in quite some time. The bonus disk makes an already great album even better.) Recommended: Yes

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